Allllmost 35 Weeks

WOW! It's hard to believe that we will be hitting the 35 week mark in just a couple days! And as anxious and eager as I am to no longer be sharing my body with a little one who enjoys kicking, punching and causing me to use the restroom 24/7, I am also sad. Yep, sad. But let me make it clear, I am not sad because I will have to "give up" this baby. Munchkin is not my baby, he was never mine to "give up". I am simply GIVING BACK what belongs to my IPs (intended parents). I am sad, because in about 5 weeks my "job" (for lack of a better word) will be over. The past year has flown by so quickly and I have enjoyed (almost) every minute of it (those 12 weeks of daily injections weren't exactly what I would call a good time). But any little bit of sadness that I am feeling or will continue to feel as the weeks trek on is overshadowed by the tremendous amount of joy and happiness I feel to be giving my IPs this amazing gift. I am so excited to see their faces when they hold their son for the first time and know that I got to play a role in making that happen for them.   

And now for updates: 

Baby is doing GREAT and is VERY active lately - which is always a good thing. At the last ultrasound (3 weeks ago) he was estimated to weigh around 3lbs, 9 ounces with an expected NEW estimated arrival date of February 15th (2 days earlier than our last estimated due date). The parents were both present at the ultrasound and got another peek at munchkin - though it's getting harder to get a good picture of him since he's growing so much and the amount of open space is running low. It was awesome to see them again, as always.

As for me, I am doing great too! At my last appointment, we found out that my placenta has FINALLY moved up to a better position and is no longer in danger of being low-lying (which can result in a possible c-section at delivery). YAY! I had been feeling optimistic that my placenta would move as it was supposed to, but you just never know. So hearing the doc say those words was awesome. So after my doctor told me the good news about my placenta and asked how I was feeling and I said "great!", she commented, "Wow, you really did mean that you have easy pregnancies." And she is right. I cannot complain too much at all. Sure, munchkin likes to roll, twist, kick, turn, poke and push on my bladder constantly, but for the most part I am pain free. Here is a self-portrait belly shot from yesterday (34 weeks, 5 days): 

 

  
My weight gain so far is about 34lbs - which is normal for me and I am just thankful that I am tall and that my weight gain is fairly well hidden. :) {I see running shoes and a track in my near future. Ha!} Also, at my last appointment my doctor noted that because my own babies were on the larger size (8lbs, 10oz & 9lbs, 11.5oz) she would like to have another ultrasound done at 38 weeks to check munchkin's progress to get an idea of how big he may be at birth. We will make a decision then about possibly inducing a week or so early. Though it's always safest and best to let baby come when they are ready, so I will lean towards that option. You know, unless they want me to push a 10+lb'er out of there at 40+ weeks, because OUCH!!!! 

Up next: A tour of the hospital (and pre-registration at the hospital for me) with my IPs is happening later today! So excited to see them again and discuss more about munchkin's arrival day. Also, one of my co-workers has GENEROUSLY offered to host a baby shower in honor of the intended parents. It will just be a small group of my friends, family, and coworkers, but I am excited to get together with munchkin's mama and spoil munchkin with a few new gifts before his arrival. 

~The Baby Fairy